Broward County Rest Area - Interstate 75 Broward County Rest Area "Finally seen an Alligator."(2 Tips) "Good stopping place between ft lauderdale and Naples, Florida"(2 Tips) "Stinky rest rooms."(2 Tips) "Lots of clean bathrooms."(2 Tips) 30 Tips and reviews Log in to leave a tip here. Post Nice to watch from the road. Jana March 10, 2014 Great way to while away a beautiful day Jana March 10, 2014 Restrooms are cleaner than Micosukee & don't STINK Jana February 2, 2014 Scott Mitchell November 17, 2013 Watch out for lot lizards. Nancy Anderson May 7, 2013 Beautiful. Clean. Cooly refreshing. Great, informational stop. Kirsten April 21, 2013 Make sure to stop at the scenic lookout on the north side of the highway-- we always see an alligator or two there (and it's most likely the only one you'll see on "Alligator Alley").

Kathleen Jones April 14, 2013 Good stopping place between ft lauderdale and Naples, Florida Deb Bland March 26, 2013 Rest area with no restrooms but lots and lots of birds! Bianca Olivas January 5, 2013 Finally seen an Alligator. Yes!!! David Givney December 31, 2012 Stinky rest rooms. Don't touch the door handles. Rey Junco December 31, 2012 Good place to pee. Juan U December 8, 2012 Nice pictures Eeryn Falk-Lubicich September 11, 2012 Be kind to the #Everglades ;) See u soon #KeyWest Cherie Williams May 18, 2012 Nice educational display about the Everglades Nancy Anderson April 9, 2012 Great bathrooms! dave ness April 2, 2012 Bring a thermos of coffee! Sharlene Wright March 10, 2012 Nice brand new rest stop / Everglades welcome center. Lots of clean bathrooms. Food vending machines including ice cream!

Chris Perry January 11, 2012 Less than One hour to south beach! Nicky Kelsey January 6, 2012 SECOND exit going south! We almost ended up going back to Naples! Andres Mejia December 13, 2011 Between mile markers 40 to 70 u can open it up no cops ...to far for them ...get the pedal to the metal boooyaka!! Joe Kennedy November 27, 2011 Boat ramp, lookout tower. Good place to stretch the legs. Golf Dad 45 November 11, 2011 Meet friendly strangers in the rest rooms! Michael Pacholec August 8, 2011 Just vending machines and bathrooms, no gas mailman g-mez May 13, 2011 Don't drink the water Kevin K April 14, 2011 Get bug spray.. Lars N January 29, 2011 If your wife wants to stop and take pictures... Let her. Curt Williams November 7, 2010 Earthcache here.

Mike Gibfried April 26, 2010 Watch your step. Photos at Alligator Alley - Everglades, FL Get directions Alligator Alley (also known as Everglades Parkway) is a section of Interstate 75 and State Road 84 extending from Naples on the west coast of Florida to Weston on the east. First opened in 1969, most of the highway traverses the Everglades and has a $2.50 toll ($2.00 for Florida SunPass users) See More SOFIA Virtual Tour - Alligator Alley Alligator Alley SOFIA Home Map showing location of Alligator Alley. Alligator Alley (I-75) is one of the major east-west highways that cross South Florida. Driving east to west along Alligator Alley, one travels through the populated Naples area with its manicured golf courses, the wilderness of Big Cypress Swamp and the sawgrass marshes of Water Conservation Area 3. Wading birds in flight and at rest, and yes, alligators, can also be seen along the canal banks adjacent to the highway. Step out from behind the vehicle window and see some of the alligators and sawgrass marshes that are found along Alligator Alley.

A photo gallery is available for this page. [Photos taken December, 1999 and April, 2000] Alligator Alley [ larger image ] A recreation area along I-75 (Alligator Alley), located about 2 miles from the eastern end of I-75, provided this northerly view of the marshland that makes up Water Conservation Area 3 (WCA-3). Marshes generally contain grasses and sedges and contain few if any trees and shrubs. Here many plants prospers in the marsh. WCA-3 receives agricultural runoff so much of the native sawgrass marsh has been replaced by cattails that prosper in nutrient-enriched waters. Look closely to see the duck-like coot swimming among the spatterdocks (yellow cow lilies). American coots are mainly gray and have a short, thick beak. They are commonly seen in open ponds and marshes and in saltwater bays and inlets. Foods coots may eat include aquatic plants, fish, mollusks and insects. A short drive north off of I-75 (Alligator Alley) onto Hwy 833, brought us by these two alligators lying along a canal.

How many alligators can you spot? [ larger image ] (Right) The marsh of Water Conservation Area 3 as seen looking north of I-75 (Alligator Alley), from a recreation area located about 2 miles west of the eastern end of I-75. Spatterdock are seen in the foreground. (Left) Looking westward at the flooded marshes of Water Conservation Area 3 (WCA-3). Coots are swimming along the dense plants of WCA-3. UPDATES: Alligator Alley brush fire closings UPDATES: Alligator Alley brush fire closings 718-acre brush fire is south of Interstate 75 east of State Road 29. Post to Facebook UPDATES: Alligator Alley brush fire closings 718-acre brush fire is south of Interstate 75 east of State Road 29. Check out this story on news-press.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 UPDATES: Alligator Alley brush fire closings news-press.com Published 7:10 p.m.

ET May 25, 2014 | Updated 5:52 p.m. ET May 27, 2014 A 2009 file photo of a brush fire in the Big Cypress Preserve. (Photo: news-press.com file photo) 33 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE Florida Highway Patrol updates: Alligator Alley is open at this time. Tuesday, May 27 2:10 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol has closed Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) from mile marker 101 (County Road 951) in Collier County to mile marker 80 (SR 29) in Collier County due to a fire in the vicinity of the 96 mile marker. An eastbound alternate route of travel will be from exit 101 (CR 951) south to eastbound US 41 (Tamiami Trail). A westbound alternate route of travel will be south on State Road 29 to westbound US 41. Visibility can change within seconds, so use extreme caution when driving in smoke and fog.

To make sure drivers know what to do when you encounter smoke and fog, the Florida Highway Patrol wants to remind all motorists that wildfires, smoke, fog and heavy rain can all lower visibility on the roads. It is important for motorist to drive as safely as possible in these conditions. <!--iframe--> Tuesday, May 27 9:03 a.m. The Florida Highway continues to assist with the wildfire that is affecting portions of Interstate 75, Alligator Alley, between the 59 and 57 mile markers. A 2-hour temporary lane closure will start at 10 a.m. today for eastbound traffic. The right hand, eastbound lane in the area of the 58 mile marker will be closed for about one mile to assist with deployment of firefighting equipment and manpower. The lane will be reopened at about noon today. The lane closure will again be repeated at 6 p.m. until about 8 p.m.to allow for retrieval of equipment and manpower. Travelers in the area may see low flying aircraft in and around the 57 – 59 mile markers as the fire is worked along I-75.

The fire is estimated at 718 acres and is 50 percent contained, according to the Big Cypress National Preserve. Monday, May 26 3:15 p.m. update National, state and local officials are working to control a brush fire north of I-75 in the Everglades that's estimated at 700 acres, according to a National Park Service release. The fire is around mile marker 57 and 58 and is not contained. The cause of the fire is unknown and there have been no injuries as of late this morning, the release said. The goal is to keep the main fire south of 75 and west of road called L-28 in Big Cypress National Preserve. Employees from the Everglades National Park and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge are working alongside local officials to contain the fire. Monday, 11:45 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting scheduled lane closure on Alligator Alley between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday due to a wildfire. Lane closures will affect the right hand lane of eastbound/south I-75, at or around mile marker 59.

Sunday evening Florida Highway Patrol is monitoring a 50-acre brush fire that appeared to be growing Sunday evening south of Interstate 75 near mile marker 57. Smoke is occasionally shifting, and troopers say they may have to close Alligator Alley east of State Road 29. There is a 50 acres fire burning at this time and growing south of I-75 at mile marker 57 on Alligator Alley. They ask motorists to use extreme caution. 33 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: TOP VIDEOS Alligator Alley: There and back - Extra Extra By Online Staff , Herald-Tribune / Sunday, November 3, 2013 Approaching the tollbooth to pay a $3 toll to drive east on I-75. Alligator Alley has become part of Interstate 75, which road-weary drivers know as the fastest route across the Everglades to the east coast. Pay $3 to drive east on the Alley for about a 100 miles, leading to Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Key West.

(Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) By THOMAS BECNEL, staff writer The opening scene of "Clambake," a movie musical from 1967, features Elvis Presley driving a gorgeous red Corvette along a brand new Florida highway called Alligator Alley. "Clambake," he sings, waving to an Everglades man in an airboat. "Gonna have a clambake." Presley's rollicking road trip leads to Miami, speedboat racing and a romance with Shelly Fabares. That's a tough act to follow, nearly 50 years later, especially for a Herald-Tribune reporter and photographer in a tired blue Hyundai. Elvis we ain't. Alligator Alley has become part of Interstate 75, which road-weary drivers know as the fastest route across the Everglades. This featureless highway could use a little less traffic and a lot more personality. Slower, but more colorful, is the Tamiami Trail, to the south, which dates back to the 1920s. It has more of an Old Florida vibe for a return trip to the Gulf Coast.

This route features the Everglades Skyway, which is an important step in restoring "The River of Grass," along with airboat tours, a Clyde Butcher gallery and what tiny Ochopee bills as the "World's Smallest Post Office." From Sarasota, two days is just enough time to drive Alligator Alley and the Tamiami Trail, there and back, with stops for frog legs, Everglades Radio and the Billie Swamp Safari. PHOTO GALLERY: Everglades Road Trip Panther Walk We exited off the Interstate just before Alligator Alley and stumble onto a place called Panther Walk Adult RV Park. Here we find George Webster with Trixie leaving the laundry room getting ready for a cross-country trip wife his wife, Lee. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) I-75 doesn't turn into Alligator Alley until it turns east near Naples. The landscaped berms of luxury golf courses give way to the flooded swamps of state forests and national parks. Just south of the highway, within sight of the first toll booth, is the Panther Walk Adult RV Park. Life is quiet here — except for the constant hum of traffic. "Oh, you should hear it in season," said Bob McIntire, who manages the park.

"The only thing is that I wish they wouldn't allow tractor trailers to use jake brakes — they sound like Ta-ta Ta-ta-ta — to slow down." Only about 30 people live year-round in the trailer park, bordered by Picayune Strand State Forest. People share the woods with alligators, bobcats and wild hogs. "We get black bears, lots of black bears," McIntire says. "I had to change the lid on the dumpster to keep 'em out." Each year, the sprawl of Naples creeps closer. To the west, there's a Walmart now, along with gas stations, hotels and the Toll Gate Commercial Center. Residents of Panther Walk rarely pay $3 to drive east on I-75. "You know, a lot of people don't enjoy that road," McIntire said. "It's boring. There's nothing there." Controversial Alley Before the highway opened, though, it was a hot topic. Naples wanted the road, to help spur local development, but Miami fought the proposal. So did Tampa and St. Petersburg, which wanted the Tamiami Trail widened and improved. The American Automobile Association argued that a two-lane expressway was unnecessary, impractical and unsafe.

AAA coined the name "Alligator Alley," which endures. State newspapers blasted the project: "Swamp Pike." "Expensive Drag Strip." "Toll-Road-To-Nowhere." These squabbles were recounted in a 1969 history, "Alligator Alley: Florida's Most Controversial Highway," by August Burghard. Things quieted down once the toll road opened. Traffic increased and the highway expanded to four lanes in the late 1980s. The biggest complaint these days is from drivers who think the "Chickee Quickee" isn't quick enough. Eagles mash-up The Everglades may be grand, even awe-inspiring, but many drivers put themselves on auto-pilot for Alligator Alley. The scenery doesn't change for miles and miles. During summer, there's usually a curtain of rain. National Park signs recommend that drivers tune in to the Everglades Radio Network, 107.9 FM, but that just makes things worse. This station turns out to be a mind-numbing loop of fun facts, environmental tips and recycling commercials. Zzzz.

The only relief is when the signal fades in and out with an oldies radio station, creating a musical mash-up of the Everglades and the Eagles. It goes a little something like this: Whoa, whoa, whoa ... "Said a Florida wildlife biologist." You get the best of my love. "Connectivity is the key." Sweet darlin', you get the best of my love. Billie Swamp Safari Halfway across the Everglades is the Miccosukee Service Plaza, at mile marker 33, where thousands of people — hundreds of thousands — have stopped to buy gas and use the restrooms. Billboards point the way to Billie Swamp Safari, a colorful tourist attraction 17 miles north of I-75. Would a side trip be cheating on an Alligator Alley feature? So be it. A Seminole Indian points the way to Billie's Swamp Safari where visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds and enjoy many of the displays and exhibits in the park, such as birds and reptiles, alligator pits and pretty flowers. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) Snake Road winds into Hendry County and the Miccosukee Indian Reservation.

There is a Seminole museum, which hardly anyone visits, and Billie Swamp Safari, which draws lots of people. It offers airboat tours, swamp buggy tours and alligator shows. Visitors can rent chickee huts for the night. The Swamp Water Cafe serves traditional fry bread dishes billed as "Indian tacos" and "Indian hot dogs." Waitresses, who are from the nearby towns of Immokalee and Clewiston, help tourists decide whether to order items such as gator bites. "I've had it grilled, baked and sauteed — terrible," says one server. "Fried is the only way to go." Wendy Blackmon of South Florida's Hollywood ordered chicken strips and fries for her 4-year-old son. Brody had just watched, fascinated, as a park employee handled rattlesnakes and water moccasins. Lunch was just a break in his day at the park. "I want to see an alligator," he shouted. "I want to see an alligator." The Swamp Safari has seen improvements over the years. The gator pit now has glass walls to improve visibility for crowds of tourists.

Palms and oaks shade curving paths, but there are also concrete poles and fences shaped to look like tree limbs. A touch of Disney in the Everglades. Chickee huts, made from thick layers of palmetto fronds, are a traditional dwelling and symbol of Seminole culture. They appear at the center of tribal crests and flags. In the cross-cultural experiment that is modern Florida, it is sometimes Mexican laborers who build and repair these huts on the reservation. Joaquin and Victor Morales, brothers from Oaxaca, work for KJ's Chickee & Tiki Huts. On a steamy summer day, they replaced fronds on a large picnic shelter at the Swamp Safari. They prefer this kind of work to picking oranges and tomatoes. "It's better," Joaquin said wiping sweat from his brow. "A little more money." A beautiful sunset in the western sky as we leave Alligator Alley behind us. Alligator Alley has become part of Interstate 75, which road-weary drivers know as the fastest route across the Everglades to the east coast.

(Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) Breath-sucking beauty When Alligator Alley approaches Fort Lauderdale, a simple route becomes a swirl of highways. The interstate ducks into a tangle of overpasses for the Sawgrass Expressway and I-595, which lead to I-95 and the Florida Turnpike. For me, a Gulf Coast paddler, it felt like entering a mangrove tunnel with towering concrete roots. Of course, I was exhausted from driving all day, so that might be a sci-fi hallucination. Scenic views of the Everglades have been underwhelming visitors for decades. Daniel Beard, the first superintendent of Everglades National Park, wrote a candid assessment in 1938: "There are no knife-edged mountains protruding up to the sky. There are no valleys of any kind. No glaciers exist, no gaudy canyons, no geysers, no mighty trees unless we except the few royal palms, not even a rockbound coast with the spray of ocean waves — none of the things we are used to seeing in our parks. Instead, there are lonely distances, intricate and monotonous waterways, birds, sky and water.

"To put it crudely, there is nothing (and we include the bird rookeries) in the Everglades that will make Mr. Jonnie Q. Public suck in his breath." There are Everglades moments near dusk, though, when the setting sun lights a beautiful swathe of sawgrass. I kept thinking that it was like a Florida take on the "amber waves of grain" in "America the Beautiful." But it was late and I was tired, so that might be overwrought or, worse still, overwritten. This is a Skyway? The next morning we headed west on the Tamiami Trail, which begins at "Calle Ocho," Eighth Street, in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. Cuban businesses advertise furniture ("muebles") and jewelry ("joyeria") next to Salvadoran restaurants and Dominican bakeries. The city thins out as it approaches the Everglades — until a 9-story Miccosukee casino hotel juts into the sky to mark the northeast corner of the national park. Just a few miles west is the Everglades Skyway, an $80 million bridge that opened this year. It turns out to be a mile long, but only 22 feet tall.

Some skyway. What's important about the bridge is that lifting the Tamiami Trail onto pilings helps restore some of the natural flow of water through the region. This is a big deal, the first in a series of bridges that will help shape the future of the Everglades. Bob Johnson, director of the South Florida Natural Resource Center, met us on a canal levee near the Skyway. I told him this was just one stop on an Everglades jaunt, but he overwhelmed me with a flood of water management history, politics, statistics, graphics and maps. Finally, I asked him to simplify his simplifications. "We have replumbed the Everglades and brought 7 million people into South Florida," Johnson said. "How far can we open the system and let water through? It's a balancing act." Out in the swamp, a few feet can make a huge difference. Driving the Skyway gives visitors a different perspective. "When you get on top, you have the full vista of the Everglades," Johnson said. "That's important to people." The new bridge isn't very tall — especially when compared to the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa Bay — but Everglades scientists have been planning and working on the project for decades.

I asked Johnson if he cried when the Skyway opened in April. "No," he joked, "but I think I got a little nose bleed from the altitude." Dog-like gators Just beyond is the string of airboat tour operators that have been entertaining Miami tourists for decades. We stopped at Coopertown Tours, which claims to be the original tour. Apparently, John Cooper was an Everglades frogger who started giving people rides in 1945. Even large airboats, those that carry 30 passengers, can skim through the Everglades in just a foot of water. Our guide, Mike Baena, accelerated through needle grass to show how a boat can slide through turns. The Coopertown airboat tours take you on a professionally guided, eight mile airboat tour into the Everglades. Coopertown claims to be the original airboat tour started by John Cooper an Everglades frogger who started giving people rides in 1945. The old Tamiami Trail, known as Alligator Alley dates back to the 1920s. It has the Old Florida vibe with lots of offbeat roadside attractions that we visited on our return trip to the Gulf Coast.

(Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) At certain points in a regular tour, guides stop to point out alligators. Many of them even have names. "C'mon, Junior," Baena shouted, adding a joke. "Stick to the script." Sure enough, a gator swam directly toward the airboat. It stopped, like a dog commanded to heel, as everyone takes pictures. For many tourists, this is the whole point of a tour. For me, it was a troubling scene. Feeding alligators in the wild is illegal, but over the years these gators have been trained — well, conditioned — to approach tour boats. On the return trip, Baena talked about the history of the Everglades. He pointed out everything from pond apples to prickleweed. He answered questions and told stories. At the end of the tour, on the dock beside the Tamiami Trail, he brought out a 2-foot-long gator for people to touch and hold. "C'mon," Baena told visitors. "It's the perfect Facebook picture." Photography pilgrims After lunch at Everglades Safari Park, which marinates its gator meat for 72 hours, we drove east to Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery.

For landscape photographers, this is like an Everglades pilgrimmage. Butcher, "the Ansel Adams of the Everglades," uses an old-fashioned view camera and large-scale printing techniques to create celebrated images of earth, water and sky. His gallery is a swamp oasis — studio lighting, soothing music and welcome air conditioning. Video monitors show interviews with Butcher. There are postcards and coffee table books for sale. Even small prints sell for hundreds of dollars. Near the entrance is a huge wall-sized print of a classic Everglades scene. How much? $125,000. We ran into Justin Imhof, a young tourist from Holland, who read about Butcher in one of his guide books. Between air boat rides and gator tours, he decided to stop at the gallery and admire some photographs. "One question," he said. "Why is it all in black and white?" Our final Everglades stop was the tiny Ochopee post office, where we were lucky enough to catch Shannon Mitchell at the end of her day. Mitchell, a former mail carrier on Marco Island, works in the post office, which is about 6 feet wide and 8 feet deep.

(Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) Ochopee postal shed Our final Everglades stop was the tiny Ochopee post office, where we were lucky enough to catch Gerri Fish and Shannon Mitchell at the end of their day. Fish drives a Toyota pickup with an "Ochopee Pony Express" vanity license plate. She probably has the most rural delivery route in the state of Florida. "Oh, I dee-liver," she said, laughing. "I do some traveling in a day's time. Every dirt road around here, I know every hole in the road." Mitchell, a former mail carrier on Marco Island, works in the post office, which is about 6 feet wide and 8 feet deep. A historical marker explains that when the Ochopee general store burned down in 1963, a tool shed was pressed into service. It remains the post office for the western edge of the Everglades. Sometimes Michelle wears a Postal Service uniform. Sometimes she wears blue jeans and a "Captain America" T-shirt. Tourists from around the world mail postcards to Ochopee. They visit on vacations to Florida. They ohh and ahh over the post office. Mitchell doesn't mind answering questions and posing for pictures.

"You don't have people coming here to complain, like a lot of places," she says with a smile. "They're all excited to be here, so we're good." Back to Elvis Our Everglades road trip was no "Clambake" — we hustled there and back — but at least we did our own interviews and photographs. Funny thing about Elvis. When he filmed "Clambake," he never went anywhere near Florida. All of his scenes were shot in California. Stand-ins drove his Corvette on Alligator Alley. They rode his motorcycle in Miami. They raced his speedboat on Biscayne Bay. Too bad. Elvis probably could have used a drive across the Tamiami Trail. And he might have liked those marinated gator bites. Here we are looking at the new mile long, $80 million dollar bridge, which recently opened this year. It's only 22 feet tall making it an important step in restoring some of the natural flow of water through the region. More bridges are planned that will help shape the future for an healthier Everglades. The old Tamiami Trail, known as Alligator Alley dates back to the 1920s.

It has the Old Florida vibe with lots of offbeat roadside attractions that we visited on our return trip to the Gulf Coast. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender) Last modified: November 4, 2013 All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published without permissions. Links are encouraged. SIMILAR STORIES Florida @ AARoads - Interstate 75 Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) Throwback One of the proposed routings for I-75 between Naples and Miami was to have it run parallel to U.S. 41 then connect with the Dolphin Expressway. 1972 Official Florida map showing the proposed location of Interstate 75E on the east side of Tampa Bay. The suffixed route was dropped by 1974 in favor of placing I-75 onto this alignment. This 1976 General Drafting map shows the final alignment proposed for I-75 through eastern Broward and northern Miami-Dade counties. Interstate 75 Interstate 75 is the longest freeway in Florida, traveling nearly 471 miles from the Miami area to the Georgia border.

Beginning at Florida 826 (Palmetto Expressway), I-75 travels north the first 19 miles before turning west at I-595 and Florida 869 (Sawgrass Expressway) toward Naples. The freeway stretches across the state through the Everglades via Alligator Alley (toll facility) before curving northward again through southwest Florida, passing Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, and Bradenton to the east. I-75 then bends around the east side of the Tampa area before turning northeast to meet the Florida's Turnpike at Wildwood. One more kink northwest takes the freeway by Ocala, Gainesville and Lake City before entering Georgia near the town of Jennings. Looking south along Interstate 75 toward the I-275 split (Exit 274) as traffic flows beaneath the Florida 56 interchange (Exit 275) in Pasco County. Motorists can be seen sitting idle along a portion of the 2.1-mile ramp that joins I-75 north with SR 56. This ramp typically sees prolonged traffic backups on a daily basis. Photo taken January 16, 2017.

Interstate 75 Florida Highway Guides Interstate 75 South - Archive History The original plan authorized by the Federal Highway Act of 1956 called for Interstate 75 to end just shy of Downtown Tampa at an interchange with Interstate 4. By the mid 1960s, however, several cities in southwest Florida lobbied for a connection to the Interstate system. Using the previous West Coast Turnpike proposal as a footprint, an extension of I-75 southward from Tampa to Miami took shape, and by July 1968 the extension was included as part of the Interstate network for Florida. The 252-mile extension was formally approved December 13, 1968.1 Several alignment changes and 25 years later, the southern section of Interstate 75 was complete between Pasco County and Hialeah. Georgia State Line to Tampa The 212-mile Interstate 75 freeway opened to traffic in segments between 1963 and 1968 from the Florida/Georgia line south to Tampa.

A slight adjustment occurred in 1961 to bring I-75 closer to Ocala and Wildwood to meet up with an extension of Florida's Turnpike.2 Interstate 75 completion: Jul 1963 - Florida 6 (Exit 460) to Georgia state line Nov 1963 - U.S. 90 (Exit 427) to Florida 6 (Exit 460) Early 1964 - Alachua to U.S.

90 (Exit 427) Jul 1964 - Florida's Turnpike (Exit 328) to Alachua Aug 1966 - Bearss Avenue (Exit 53 - I-275) to Florida 52 (Exit 285) Mar 1968 - Florida 582 (Exit 51 - I-275) to Bearss Avenue (Exit 53 - I-275) Sep 1968 - Sligh Avenue (Exit 48 - I-275) to Florida 582 (Exit 51 - I-275) - final segment to open3 Work is ongoing to widen Interstate 75 through Pasco, Hernando, and Sumter counties with expected completion by summer 2017. Tampa to Naples Extension Plans for the southern extension of Interstate 75 from Tampa to Miami date back as far as 1964, during which time a west coast turnpike was also proposed to link Tampa with Naples.

Local opposition across Southwest Florida grew over the proposed toll road and by 1968 was dropped in favor of a toll-free I-75 extension. The initial proposed I-75 extension would be routed through St. Petersburg while the Tampa bypass would carry Interstate 275 around the east side of the bay area. As a part of the extension, Interstate 4 was truncated to the Downtown interchange and replaced with I-75 toward Pinellas County and St. Petersburg. Studies though determined that it would be too expensive to maintain the freeway through the cities with the estimated high traffic volumes. One idea was to designate the Tampa bypass as Interstate 75E, but due to a 1973-based AASHTO rule that suffixed routes be renumbered to reduce motorist confusion, that designation was shelved. Instead, the I-75 and I-275 designations were swapped into their current configuration.

A I-75 NOW Task Force organized in 1975, and successfully lobbied to secure funding to build I-75 through Southwest Florida quicker than originally scheduled.4 The task force was formed by civic leaders and several politicians and businessmen to fast track the completion of Interstate 75 through Southwest Florida after predictions that the Tampa-Miami freeway would not be finished until after 2000.5 The Tampa bypass portion of Interstate 75 began construction mid-July 19796, and would take seven years to complete. When the final piece opened July 1986, I-75 was seamless between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Alligator Alley in Naples.

Interstate 75 extension completion: Late 1979 - Corkscrew Road (Exit 123) to Florida 78 (Exit 143) Jan 1980 - Florida 78 (Exit 143) to Tuckers Grade (Exit 158) Jul 1981 - Collier County 846 (Exit 111) to Corkscrew Road (Exit 123) May 1981 - River Road (Exit 191) to U.S. 301 (Exit 224) Dec 1981 - Tuckers Grade (Green Gulf Boulevard) (Exit 158) to River Road (Exit 191) Mar 1982 - U.S. 301 (Exit 224) to Hillsborough County 672 (Exit 247) Late 1983 - Hillsborough County 672 (Exit 247) to U.S.

301 (Exit 254) Apr 1984 - Hillsborough County 582A (Exit 266) to I-275 north (Exit 274) Jul 1985 - Interstate 4 (Exit 261) to Hillsborough County 582A (Exit 266) Jul 1986 - U.S. 301 (Exit 249) to Interstate 4 (Exit 261) The majority of Interstate 75 through Southwest Florida maintains at least six lanes of traffic, with construction ongoing or planned for the remaining segments. Scene looking south along Interstate 75 from the CR 768 (South Jones Loop Road) overpass prior to the widening project between Exits 158 and 161 in Charlotte County. Photo taken July 9, 2011. Alligator Alley and Southeast Florida Extension Leaving Southwest Florida, three ideas were proposed for taking I-75 across the vast everglades to the Miami area. One proposal took Interstate 75 southeast parallel to U.S.

41 (Tamiami Trail) through the Everglades, then connecting it with current Florida 836 Toll (Dolphin Expressway, formerly East-West Expressway) for the remainder to Miami. Its end would have been at the Midtown Interchange between I-95 and I-395. This proposed routing would also take the freeway close to the Dade-Collier Jetport (now defunct) which was under development at the time. Another proposal extended the freeway across the two lane Alligator Alley (State Road 84) between Naples and Andytown then turn it southerly to reach Miami. A third and least favorable of the proposals, called for the freeway to turn southeast near Fort Myers toward Fort Lauderdale and Miami, bypassing Naples and skirting the Everglades to the north.

The Fort Myers-Fort Lauderdale-Miami option, recommended by the University of Miami Center for Urban Studies, was not favored primarily by residents and business interests in Naples as well as by some transportation officials.7 Differing opinions, both economic and environmentally based, between the first two options also put the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) at odds with its own environmental study team in regards to the final path I-75 would take to cross the peninsula.7 Political controversy also surrounded the finalization of selecting either route as the primary corridor. By November 1971, however, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) chose the Alligator Alley corridor as the preferred route Interstate 75 would use to cross the Everglades.8 The southern route parallel to the Tamiami Trail was shelved due to the strong opposition and political concerns, as well as the costs to upgrade the East-West Expressway to Interstate standards.

Alligator Alley began its conversion to I-75 on July 7, 1986 with construction beginning on a 10.6-mile segment in Broward County.9 As part of the conversion, numerous wildlife underpasses and water vents were built to allow safe passage for free roaming animals and to uninhibit the natural flow of water through the Everglades ecostructure. The transition of the 78-mile Alligator Alley to Interstate 75 was complete by November 1992, and was also the last segment in completing the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Miami freeway. Tolls were also proposed to be removed once the conversion was complete, but continuing maintenance of Alligator Alley requires the tolls to remain in place. The remaining 23 miles of Interstate 75 from U.S. 27 to Florida 826 (Palmetto Expressway) began construction in 1980, with a 4.1-mile section opening between Florida 818 (Griffin Road) and Florida 820 (Pines Boulevard) by August 1984. The freeway was completed in Broward and Miami Dade counties by October 1986.

When I-75 was completed in Southeast Florida, the eight lane freeway opened up largely uninhabited farmland for development. Through the 1990s, the cities of Miramar, Pembroke Pines and Weston saw enormous population increase with the growth concentrated along the I-75 corridor. Between 1990 and 2000 the city of Pembroke Pines alone grew at a rate of 210 percent, from 65,452 to 137,427 residents. Traffic volumes have steadily increased along this stretch of Interstate 75, with traffic counts being as high as 163,084 between the Palmetto Expressway and Miramar Parkway (Exits 7AB).10 Express Lanes are being constructed along 19 miles of Interstate 75 in Broward11 and Miami-Dade12 counties between Florida 826 (Palmetto Expressway) and the I-595/Florida 869 Toll exchange.

When complete in late 2018, the $780 million projects will add over 30 miles of tolled managed lanes with limited access points at key locations throughout the entire length. State Road 93 and 93A Florida 93 is the state road counterpart for the majority of Interstate 75 in Florida, minus the portion between the I-275 tie ins at Palmetto and Wesley Chapel. State Road 93A follows I-75 along the Tampa bypass while SR 93 travels with I-275 through St. Petersburg and Tampa. Many thanks to Justin Cozart and Jason Learned for some of the background information about Florida's portion of Interstate 75. This information was originally posted on TropicalTurnpikes.com and is reproduced with permission by Justin Cozart. "Boyd Approved I-75 Extension to Miami", St. Petersburg Times, December 14, 1968. "Interstate 75 Ruling Is Seen Within Week", The Palm Beach Post, July 25, 1961. "Interstate 75 Dedication Wednesday", St.

Petersburg Times, September 24, 1968. "I-75 to Open From Naples to Tampa by 1986", Sarasota Journal, July 7, 1981. Article from Sarasota Journal, April 8, 1981. "Tampa Bypass to be Built", Lakeland Ledger, April 20, 1979. "DOT At Odds With Own Team On I-75 Everglades Route", Sarasota Herald-Tribute, December 7, 1970. "I-75 To Follow Alley Across The Everglades", Lakeland Ledger, October 31, 1971. "Work on I-75 Across Everglades Begins", St. Petersburg Times, July 8, 1986. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida Traffic Online web-based viewer ( FloridaTrafficOnline/viewer.html) FDOT Palmetto Express website ( I-75 Express Lanes Project ( Interstate 75 Scenes The Broward County rest area along Alligator Alley functions similar to a service area, with access from both directions of the toll road.

Frontage roads wind west from the facility to access adjacent boat ramps and the northbound side of I-75. Photo taken 12/23/13. I-75 northbound trailblazer posted at the frontage road looping west from the Broward County rest area to boat ramps nearby and the loop ramp for Naples. Photo taken 12/23/13. Small guide signs and trailblazers direct motorists from the Broward County rest area frontage road toward the southbound on-ramp for I-75 to Miami. Photos taken 12/23/13. Interstate 75 trailblazer posted at the Everglades Wildlife Management Area recreation area near milepost 41. Photo taken 03/04/14. Shields for Interstate 75 posted at the Collier County rest area direct motorists exiting the facility onto an access road to the northbound side ramps and the southbound return ramp toward Miami. East/West bannered shields for I-75 were later replaced with North/South ones. Photo taken 12/28/03.

Looking west along Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) from the Florida 29 (Exit 80) overpass. The end of the Alley lies 21 miles to the west where I-75 meets Collier County 951 (Exit 101) south of Golden Gate. Photo taken 06/25/05. Interstate 75 travels east from Florida 29 (Exit 80) into the Big Cypress National Preserve as it continues toward the southeast coast. Snake Road (Broward County 833) will join Alligator Alley in 31 miles near the edge of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation at Exit 49. Photo taken 06/25/05. Canals line both sides of I-75 (Alligator Alley) as the tolled route travels through the Big Cypress National Preserve. Alligators can often be spotted in the water or lounging along the banks. Photos taken 06/25/05. Additional views of the low right-of-way and canals along Alligator Alley.

Standard fencing with reinforced tension cables line the right-of-way boundaries the entire length of the Alley to aid in keeping larger animals out. Photos taken 06/25/05. I-75 junction assembly stands along Hillsborough County 672 (Big Bend Road) on the westbound approach. The previous alignment of Big Bend Road (Old Big Bend Road) runs parallel through the upcoming folded diamond interchange. Photos taken 12/28/03. Pasco County 41 (Blanton Road) intersects Interstate 75 at Exit 293 near the community of Blanton. North Interstate 75 leads motorists to Ocala while south Interstate 75 leads motorists toward Tampa. Photos taken 04/01/04. Sources: "Boyd Approved I-75 Extension to Miami", St. Petersburg Times, December 14, 1968. "Interstate 75 Ruling Is Seen Within Week", The Palm Beach Post, July 25, 1961. "Interstate 75 Dedication Wednesday", St. Petersburg Times, September 24, 1968.

"I-75 to Open From Naples to Tampa by 1986", Sarasota Journal, July 7, 1981. Article from Sarasota Journal, April 8, 1981. "Tampa Bypass to be Built", Lakeland Ledger, April 20, 1979. "DOT At Odds With Own Team On I-75 Everglades Route", Sarasota Herald-Tribute, December 7, 1970. "I-75 To Follow Alley Across The Everglades", Lakeland Ledger, October 31, 1971. "Work on I-75 Across Everglades Begins", St. Petersburg Times, July 8, 1986. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Florida Traffic Online web-based viewer ( FloridaTrafficOnline/viewer.html) Prices of Toll Roads USA | Sixt rent a car Home >> Toll Roads >> Toll Roads USA Disclaimer This content (together with the whole Toll Roads project by Sixt rent a car) is getting dismissed and no longer updated as of December 31st 2015.

Sixt rent a car is not responsible for any incorrect, un-updated or missing information whatsoever. The page may be shut down without any official notice or communication. Thanks for your understanding. USA Toll Roads | Calculate Toll Prices Click on the state below and you will be able to discover every toll road in that state including the costs and where it is located. If the state is grey it means there are no toll roads in that state. Start exploring toll road information, for your next road trip today. <p>Sorry, your browser is far too old to render iframes. Please update to a new one.</p> Book Now US Toll Roads | Important information According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association has more than 5,000 miles of toll roads in the US, so it is quite likely you will encounter one driving with your Sixt car rental. From bridge and tunnel tolls to express and high occupancy lanes, most states have some sort of toll road system. Nowadays most tolls are collected electronically via transponders that are typically placed on the windshield inside the vehicle.

As many toll roads no longer accept cash it?s recommended to check the individual websites of each state?s toll system to inform yourself about the payment options along your route. E-ZPass is the electronic transponder for tolls in the Northeast of the US. It is the most established and widest-used system. Currently it is accepted in sixteen states stretching from Illinois up to Maine and down to North Carolina. The SunPass is the second-largest compatible toll transponder usable in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The North Carolina NC Quick Pass is another option with interoperability with E-ZPass, SunPass and Peach Pass accounts. Some highways have booth-less tolling, also known as open road tolls, which requires drivers to register their plates instead of using a transponder. PlatePass license plate recognition is another common way to pay for tolls with your rental car. California drivers can make use of the FasTrak transponder which makes for quicker and easier payment over the eight bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can also use the FasTrak to enter express lanes in both Northern and Southern California.

I-75 (Alligator Alley), State Road 29 closed: Big Cypress National Preserve wildfire smoke hazard - wptv.com UPDATE: According to the Florida Highway Patrol: All lanes in both directions have re-opened. EARLIER STORY: COLLIER COUNTY — The Florida Highway Patrol closed more than 75 miles of the Alligator Alley section of Interstate 75 and State Road 29 in Collier County early Monday because of severely reduced visibility from a brush fire in Big Cypress National Preserve. Closed are I-75's Alley section between mile marker 101 in Collier County and mile marker 23 at U.S. 27 in Broward County, and SR 29 between Oil Well Road on the north end and U.S. 41 East on the south end, the FHP reports. The FHP announced the closure of the interstate and part of State Road 29 about 3:30 a.m.. Monday, and announced the closing of the northern section of 29 just after 4 a.m.

As of Sunday afternoon, the brush fire in the Big Cypress National Preserve had grown to 20,000 acres, but it is 40 percent contained, said Ryan Stubblebine, a spokesman for Big Cypress National Preserve. Additional personnel and a hotshot crew from Virginia were fighting the fire located near Alligator Alley, he said. The start of the fire has been labeled suspicious and is under investigation, Stubblebine said. It was a bad weekend for local wildfires. Three separate brush fires smoked out eastern Collier County residents on Saturday. Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Gulf Coast Visitor Center - Everglades National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Gulf Coast Visitor Center Directions to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center 815 Oyster Bar Lane. Everglades City, Florida 34139 The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is located 5 miles south of Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) on State Road 29, in Everglades City.

From Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley), take exit 80 (State Road 29) south and proceed 20 miles to Everglades City. Once in Everglades City, follow the signs to the park. The visitor center is on the right. Would you like to map out your directions? Search for Everglades National Park, Gulf Coast Visitor Center on Google or MapQuest to get directions. Approximate GPS coordinates: 25°50'49.03" N 81°23'06.85" W Hours of Operation

Question: Alligator Alley (on Interstate 75) in which US state?
Answer: Florida